Special domestic abuse courts where criminal offences are heard alongside family law cases will be set up under a £5million trial to be unveiled in the Budget. The plans aim to offer better support to survivors of domestic abuse.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak plans to announce millions of pounds to crackdown on domestic abuse when he delivers his first Budget on Wednesday.
Measures include £10million to tackle “high-risk, high-harm perpetrators of domestic abuse through early interventions”.
Another move will see £5million pledged to pilot domestic abuse courts, which will hear family and criminal matters in parallel.
The Treasury believes the plan will offer victims better support.
Another £15million is designed to improve sex assault victims’ experiences in the justice system.
The plan includes hiring independent advisers trained to help complainants navigate the criminal system, speed-up charging decisions and provide better online resources.
Elsewhere, nearly £70million will be earmarked for beefing-up community sentences and the probation service.
Some offenders will be subject to “sobriety tagging”, which monitors whether they have drunk alcohol.
Curfews will be tightened and unpaid work sentences toughened.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Keeping our streets safe is one of the people’s priorities.
“We are already delivering on this by hiring 20,000 new police officers and building 10,000 new prison places.
“At Budget we will go even further with new funding to toughen up community sentences, crackdown on domestic abuse and provide victims with the support they need.”
The Conservatives have previously been blasted for slashing police officer numbers by 21,000 and cutting the amount spent on the courts and police.
